Disney convention knows long lines

ANAHEIM – Ariana Riemenschneider got in line at 4:45 a.m. Friday to snag a seat for a presentation about Disney animation – five hours later.

She wasn't the earliest to arrive, either.

Some attendees of D23, Disney's once-every-two-years convention for its fan club, camped overnight along Harbor Boulevard by the Anaheim Convention Center.

Those who got inside saw sneak peeks of Pixar movies, celebrities – such as Kristen Bell and Bill Hader – the Disney Fairytale Designer Doll Collection and props and costumes from "Mary Poppins."

Hundreds even waited in line to get special passes – to ensure they wouldn't have to endure a line later and perhaps miss out on some presentation. Andrea Elkind, 59, waited 90 minutes. She wanted to see a concert of Broadway songs in the evening.

"Everything at Disney is a line, so we're used to it," Elkind said.

Some fans came to be part of the show.

Forty were selected by Disney to parade about on stage for a costume contest, "Heroes and Villains," in which winners landed trophies.

Clad in a handmade, black-knitted dress and a crown of 45 ostrich feathers, Dawn Bright's portrayal of Queen Amidala, a "Star Wars" character, emerged from the field of elaborate outfits to win "Best in Show."

"She's an extremely strong character, so I wanted to do the best representation of her that I can," said Bright, 32, a Riverside artist.

Francisco Palafox's rendition of Cinderella's Fairy Godmother didn't win any awards – but he elicited plenty of cheers from the audience.

"I found Cinderella's fabric first, so I decided to use lame to make a Fairy Godmother outfit for myself," Palofax, 34, of Orlando, Fla., said while standing next to his Cinderella-clad friend, Andrea Petry, 39, of Anaheim.

"It's fun," Palofax said. "The work pays off when people ask to take a picture with you."

Tickets were sold out for Saturday, but they remained for Sunday, the convention's last day.